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The warm and mystical green color of chrysoprase is one you will often see around our necks and wrists at Mana Culture. In fact, the very meaning of the word, chrysoprase comes from the Greek word for gold, and the greek word for leek, in reference to its unusual coloring. The beautiful stone was also supposed ...

As this new year dawns, many of us at Mana are getting ready to head out on journeys across the globe. From Hawaii to Germany, to Italy it seems to be a month for travel. Perhaps it is the itch that often comes with the cold of winter, or the shorter and darker days to stretch ...

Sagittarius: November 21-December 21 – The Centaur Element: Fire Strengths: Generous, Intelligent, Curious Weaknesses: Stubborn, Opinionated, Rebellious Sagittarius are among the most curious of the zodiac, with a passion for adventure this can lead to their love for travel. Extroverted and social, they are great friends and up for anything. With a mind hungry for ...

It is thought that turquoise, is one of the oldest stones known to man, and especially to be used by man. The world itself, means Turkish stone, as the main trade routes that transported the stone routed from Asia into Europe by way of Turkey. Since these ancient times the stone has played important roles ...

Happy New Year! “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something. So that’s my wish ...

Moonstone, hands down, is my personal favorite stone. The travelers stone, it has ancient meaning and traditions that surround it. It has always represented the moon and its mysterious powers, there is record of it being used jewelry as far back as the ancient Romans and perhaps longer in parts of Asia. Many think of the ...

Part of living in such a large and diverse country means that the holidays mean something different to almost everyone you know. Whether you celebrate a different one, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or the solstice, or whether your family doesn’t celebrate them or has elaborate traditions, our experiences are all different. However in my opinion, what ...

I realized today, that we are nearly halfway through December already! The holidays are quite literally almost upon us, and as per usual I am behind in my shopping. Each year, I begin December with the best of intentions, to get all my presents ready ahead of time so that when the crunch time comes ...

One of my favorite health rituals lately, has been the practice of oil pulling. An ancient practice, that finds its roots in India, this ayurvedic method is also called ‘kavala,’ and ‘gundusha,’ the practice primarily involves swishing oil in your mouth for several minutes. An ayurvedic practice, it doesn’t necessarily matter what type of oil ...

As the cold winds start to blow, I find myself wanting to curl up in blankets with something warm to drink. I personally favor savory over sweet, and while I love a good cup of tea or coffee, I also really love soups and broth. Recently I became aware of bone broth, an ancient traditional ...

You may have noticed we at Mana love our stones and gems and crystals, and some more than others. One of the best things about stones, is their unique meanings that allow them to resonate deeply within ourselves as we wear them. Labradorite, was first thought to have been a piece of the aurora borealis ...

Traits associate with turquoise, zircon, tanzanite: Tranquility, honor, purity, good fortune, sensitivity December has a trio of some of the most beautiful gem stones. Turquoise is one of the oldest stones that was put to use and revered in ancient times. It was a sacred gemstone especially for native americans who used it for jewelry, ...

Find Your Inspiration The city of Austin is one of limitless creativity and inspiration, yet sometimes I find myself getting overwhelmed but the daily hustle and crave some nature to re-center myself. I think this is something that is enormously important, to have places where we can go that breathe peace into our minds so ...

With Thanksgiving past, the day dawned on Black Friday yesterday as millions of Americans shopped their hearts out. We at Mana prefer Small Business Saturday, as a family owned business with two stores we are very much a family. As such, we also like to celebrate the small businesses within our cities. We recently have ...

As the temperatures begin to change, it is important to allow your body to healthily acclimate to the coming of winter. Often the cold and those bone chilling winter winds leave us feeling stiff, and dry, I don’t know about you but I always find myself hunching down to keep the warmth in my body. ...

This week, one of our country’s most beloved holidays takes place. A festival of eating, we call it in my family, but what it represents is so much more. More than what the holiday marks in our country history, it represents at least for me, at time to take stock, a time to realize all ...

I don’t know about you but at this time of year as the seasons begin to change and the cold wings start to blow, I often find myself falling prey to little colds and coughs. While it’s not being full blown sick, they make daily life just a little bit harder. So here are some ...

The Moon If you’ve gone outside at night lately, you’ve probably noticed the moon in all its majesty. This October, November and December the full moons of the month will all occur when the moon is the closest to the earth, as such gaining the name of the supermoon. This last weekends super moon was ...

Our Top Ten Bohemian Blogs A ridiculously beautiful couple, the most epic vintage airstream, and the most amazing bohemian clothing? Sign us up! Sarah Loven, along with her photographer boyfriend, produce endless wanderlust inspiring posts as she travels across the country, and world as a brand ambassador for all our favorite designers. She leads us ...